Troublesome
by Firefly-Maj
Summary: Aragorn and Legolas simply intended to cross the mountains, but as various disasters break in on the two friends, it becomes a matter of survival for one of them... No Slash, slightly AU. Disclaimer: It is NOT MINE and no money will be made out of it...
1. Plain

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**Chapter 1: Plain**

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Aragorn sighed. There was no way denying it any longer: they were lost.

He pulled his cloak as tightly around him as possible to fend off the cold, and peered up to the grey sky again: it was too cloudy to offer any orientation.

The sun had disappeared altogether and only left a dull late afternoon light. Everything was thoroughly covered by snow and looked the same, so no clues there either.

The Ranger turned around and spotted his companion a few feet away, having climbed onto one of the boulders and looking for a way out of this endless maze of rocks.

Aragorn wondered how Legolas could have gotten up there at all, as the snow made the smooth surface as slippery as ice.

But then, the elf never ceased to astound him; even though he had grown up amongst elves and should not be surprised by their abilities anymore, Legolas managed to render him speechless sometimes.

--

He made his way over to the boulder now: "Anything?", he asked hopefully, not being prepared to admit defeat yet.

Legolas looked down at him, an inscrutable smile on his face: "I wish I could say yes", he replied. "But as it would be untrue, I fear I have to disappoint you."

Aragorn subconsciously squared his shoulders: "We should find shelter for the night then", he murmured, looking around uneasily.

--

They were headed for Mirkwood and had been travelling through the Misty Mountains for some days now. An early and unusually fierce onset of winter had taken them by surprise and slowed their progress down considerably, so they had strayed from their path in order to find an easier one, vainly hoping that the passages further south might be free of yet .

Aragorn reprimanded himself for such a foolish idea now, but there was no turning back. The clouds seemed to follow them, blocking the path in their backs.

--

Legolas swiftly jumped down off the boulder and landed next to Aragorn, but did not even break the white surface.

"I wish I could do that", Aragorn murmured.

Legolas laughed, and he did sound so cheerful that Aragorn forgot his gloom for a while when he set off after his friend.

--

They sought shelter under some boulders which were jutting out at the top so that they had formed something like a roof.

It did not protect them from the cold wind, but at least they were able to build a small fire. They boiled some water for tea and ate a frugal meal, then Aragorn settled down to sleep while Legolas took the first watch.

Although the cold did not really affect him, he felt uncomfortable, thus shrinking back into his hood; he would have preferred trees instead of stones, and the wind tugged at his cloak as if mocking him.

It increased during the night, blowing snow into their sheltered place, and filled the air with unearthly howling.

It annoyed the elf, and he was glad when his watch was over.

--

Aragorn watched the dark sky turn pale. He had huddled himself in his cloak and got to his feet now, his breath producing white clouds in the crisp air.

The wind had not lessened yet, but at least it had stopped to snow for a while.

He decided to wake Legolas before time; they would do good to get going as long as it did not snow, because it made orientation a lot easier.

.

To his surprise, the elf was awake already, looking alert: "Aragorn", he said quietly, "there is a sound behind the howling of the wind, I can hear it."

Aragorn knew how superior his friend´s hearing was, so he nodded: "Can you make out from where it is coming?"

Legolas shook his head. Silently, he got to his feet as well, and they started to pack up quickly.

.

"If we move, we will leave tracks, but if we stay here, we can be cornered easily", Aragorn murmured, trying to decide which would be the lesser evil.

Legolas nodded vaguely, as he was listening intently. "We cannot linger", he then said, his voice calm but urgent.

"It sounds like wargs, and they might be carrying Mordor´s foul spawn..."

--

So they set off; the snow had piled up high, making it even harder for Aragorn to proceed. Legolas continued to listen, his fair face was taut with apprehension.

He knew that his friend was putting all his efforts in walking as fast as possible, but the snow reached up to his hip, slowing him down tremendously.

.

The noise became louder, and now Legolas thought he could definitely hear Orcs as well. He did not say anything until he was sure, though.

"Wargs and Orcs", he finally stated, "They are coming this way."

Aragorn cursed under his breath,as there was nowhere to hide.

The boulders had even receded, and now they were facing a flat plain. On the far side, the boulders piled up higher, but until they had reached them, they would be exposed to hostile looks.

.

"Do you think we will be able to make it in time?", Aragorn asked now, because he knew he could rely on the elf´s excellent hearing, "or do you suppose we should go back to find a hiding place?"

Legolas slowly shook his head: "Let us hurry to get over there", he said. "The thought of going back troubles me."

A threat had been growing in his mind, but he could not put his finger on it.

So they went on in order to cross the plain.

--

They had not come far though, when Aragorn suddenly felt a strange shift underneath his feet.

Before he could say anything or even warn Legolas, the ground underneath them trembled and started to break away.

Taking the two helpless friends with it, the snow proceeded to cave in with tremendous speed and noise, taking down rocks and blocks of ice as well; the echo of it reverberated through the now revealed crevice for some time.

.

When a party of Orcs on wargs arrived there a few minutes later, however, everything was silent again.

--

**TBC**

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Author´s Note: Okay, tell me what you think! ;)


	2. Snow

Thank you all once again for your lovely reviews. They make writing more rewarding and I appreciate every single one of them!

And now: enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: Snow**

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The Orcs stared down into the crevice.

"Tracks lead here", one of their scouts said. "Must´ve gone down."

Their leader shook his head unwillingly, then craned his neck to check: "Damn snow, spoiling our sport...Can´t see anythin´ down there."

"They can´t have survived it", the scout said gloomily, "it´s too deep down."

"Let´s go on then, I don´t wanna linger here."

They turned their beasts around and left.

--

Legolas was vaguely aware of darkness; it took him a while to realize that he could not move.

Something heavy was pressing on him, making him wonder what he had gotten himself into, until memories of a strange sliding motion which then had given way to the feeling of being thrashed while falling at the same time started to drift back to him.

When he finally came to properly and found that he was buried under a mass of snow while something solid was pressing against his shoulders and head, he tried very hard not to panic.

.

He seemed to be lying on his side, and between him and what seemed to be rock or ice was a little space, enabling him to breathe.

At least he could move his head a little.

This encouraged him to try to shift his whole body.

It did not work at first, because the snow was heavy and his neck hurt when he strained his muscles, but then he gritted his teeth and tried again, this time successfully.

He did not give up until he had managed to move his arms to his chest, breathing hard.

Further memories came back to him while he started to dig: they must have been walking across a crevice, which neither himself nor Aragorn had noticed.

Aragorn.

Legolas froze. He shouted his friend´s name, but the sound was muffled.

He was digging frantically now, pushing the snow away and hoping that the layers above would not collapse on him. His hands started to hurt as they grew colder and colder, and soon they were bleeding of various scratches and cuts.

.

Legolas ignored it, grinding his teeth together until it hurt and tried not to think of the damage he might be causing to himself.

.

He did not know how long it took until he could move his legs, or until he could see a tiny ray of light piercing the dark.

--

When he finally broke through the surface, he was so relieved he could have wept. He scrambled to his feet and looked around: he was standing in a large cleft, filled with rocks, snow and blocks of ice.

"Aragorn", Legolas shouted, "Aragorn!" He did not care to think about Orcs or anyone else, as nothing but his friend occupied his mind right now.

He had to find him.

.

Legolas closed his eyes and concentrated on the Ranger.

He could feel him, but he did not know where. But at least he could sense the presence of his mind, meaning that he was still alive... from the sun´s position he gathered that it must be around midday, so he had been buried for quite some time, and he was an elf, whereas Aragorn was not...

Cautiously, he walked through the crevice and looked around, thawing his hands in his armpits.

He was desperate to find his friend soon, being afraid he might suffocate if unable to free himself for some reason.

--

He had been searching for some time already when his gaze fell on something behind a heap of ice and smaller rocks: it was an arm, _Aragorn´s_ arm protruding out from the snow.

Legolas rushed to get to his side; his friend had not been buried deep because he had come to lie underneath a ledge.

One side of his head, his left shoulder and left arm were still free, but he was unconscious.

.

Legolas knelt down next to him: "Aragorn", he said, while he started to remove the snow around him, "Aragorn! Can you hear me?"

Aragorn groaned softly in response, and the elf felt relief wash over him once more.

The Ranger slowly opened his eyes and looked confused: "What..._oh_..." He seemed to remember and closed his eyes again: "Tell me it was only a dream."

Legolas laughed: "Try to move and you will find out", he said.

Aragorn lifted his head: "That is the reason for why I am so chilled", he murmured and started to move about.

Legolas looked at him in concern; of course the cold must have affected the man, as he felt it much stronger than the elf.

--

When they had finally freed Aragorn, he sat up and suppressed a hiss. Something hurt, but he had no desire to find out what and why exactly, because their pursuers came back to his mind now: "Do you think the Orcs are still near?", he asked quietly.

Legolas shook his head: "I cannot hear them anymore. They might have been here while we were under."

Aragorn nodded: " We are very fortunate if that is the case."

He looked at his friend again: "Are you hurt?", he asked, equally concerned.

Legolas shook his head: "I feel thoroughly bruised, and my hands are sore from digging myself out, but apart from that, I am fine."

Aragorn´s gaze rested on him until his friend was satisfied that he had obviously spoken the truth. Inwardly, Legolas smiled: the human had spent enough time with him to know not to be fooled easily.

--

Aragorn got to his feet and hissed again when he straightened up.

"Could we actually have escaped the Orcs because of this?", he asked, looking around.

Legolas understood that his friend only now realized what had happened.

He smiled: "It would be a marvel", he agreed. "I suggest we leave this place as fast as possible and find a way out of here. My bow is lost, I am afraid, but if we find the Orcs´ tracks, we can easily avoid them."

Aragorn nodded. He was shaking slightly now; he did not realize that it was a mild shock that was setting in.

His back must have hit something hard, for it pained him, and he discovered that his cloak seemed to have been ripped apart just beneath the shoulder.

Legolas took a look at it: "_You_ are hurt!", he exclaimed. "Your bow broke and seemed to have bored through your cloathing..."

.

Without waiting for Aragorn´s answer, he removed the damaged bow and quiver and cautiously slid the fabric aside: Aragorn´s shirt was torn as well, and to Legolas´ dismay, quite bloodied.

"It is not that bad", Aragorn tried, but was cut off by his friend: "How can you say that yet? Let me look at it first and then I will tell you." With that, Legolas pulled the cloak aside.

He gasped: Aragorn´s shirt was soaked with blood around the gash, and it was still bleeding.

"Sit down", Legolas commanded. "I will have to stop it from bleeding before we leave here."

Aragorn complied wordlessly, feeling a bit woozy now. He had just remembered that they did not have any breakfast as well.

--

Some more digging provided Aragorn´s pack.

Legolas took out a fresh shirt, a clean cloth and the water skin, then he bade Aragorn to remove his old shirt. "I know it is cold, I will be quick", he said reassuringly, seeing that his friend had goosebumps due to the cool air.

He sat down behind Aragorn and scrunched up the old shirt, which he now used to apply pressure on the wound.

As the Ranger was soon shivering violently due to the cold, the elf drew nearer to him: "Lean against me", he said, and wrapped his cloak around the both of them when the man had done so.

.

"Legolas", Aragorn said when his teeth had stopped chattering, "we were very lucky."

The elf heard this with surprise, as they had already talked about this, but then realized that Aragorn would need some time to come to terms with what had just happened. They had survived twice, after all.

"Yes", Legolas therefore replied softly. "We were."

He could feel that his friend was calming down and was glad about it, as their further journey would be arduous enough.

Little did he know how much so.

--

**TBC**

--

Sorry-- cliffie _again_! But it´s much more fun this way... ;)


	3. Surrender

Mae govannen my dear readers and reviewers, here goes the next chapter. I hope it can live up to your expectations... enjoy! ;)

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**Chapter 3: Surrender**

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After a while, the blood flow had stopped.

Legolas cleaned the wound; he had to pull out some splinters, causing Aragorn to flinch, then dressed it carefully and helped Aragorn into his fresh shirt.

Using some snow, the Ranger cleaned most of the blood off his cloak before slipping it back on, grateful for the warmth it provided.

Legolas eyed him attentively: "Do you feel up to the task of climbing out of here?", he asked.

"Yes,", Aragorn replied indignantly, "since I am not ill, I do!"

Legolas subdued a grin: "I know. But if you feel the slightest hint of exhaustion, nausea or worse, please tell me so."

"It is just a flesh wound", Aragorn muttered. "I am far more concerned about the weather and your being bowless."

Legolas inwardly agreed about that, but tried to reassure him: "Maybe I can repair yours. Let us get going now."

--

Aragorn followed Legolas, who had soon discovered a spot on the far side of the crevice where enough rubble had piled up for them to be able to climb all the way up to the surface without any ropes.

The elf let his friend take the lead, because the man could not fool him either: he knew that he was in pain, and he saw that his hands were trembling slightly.

Even for Legolas, climbing was not easy on the smoothed surfaces, as the sun had finally come out and the ice which covered the rocks started to melt, leaving them even more slippery.

When they had reached the edge, Legolas went to look for tracks, while Aragorn remained where he was, feeling tired and shaken, wishing they had not taken this path for the hundreth time.

His friend came back soon: "They have been here indeed", he said. "The tracks lead away from the crevice; apparently they have gone round it in a wide circle and were headed that way", he pointed towards the exact direction that he and Aragorn had intended to take.

Aragorn smirked sarcastically: "Well, we have no other choice, do we?", he asked.

Legolas shook his head; if he had been on his own, he might have decided to turn back, but for Aragorn it would not make a big difference, as proceeding through the snow like this meant hardship for him anyway, no matter where he went.

"Do not worry", Legolas therefore said. "We will be alright if we look out for their tracks and are careful."

Aragorn nodded miserably, not feeling up to argue about it.

.

Legolas looked at him in growing concern: the cold and the snow alone were enough for Aragorn to cope with, and the dratted wound only made it worse.

"We should find a sheltered place and eat something first", he suggested, "afterwards we will feel better."

Thus they did once they had reached the boulders; using the last of their firewood, they built a fire and melted some of the snow. The hot water was a blessing, but they did not wish to think about how long it might take until they would have some again.

--

They did not rest for long, as darkness would fall soon; following the path and therefore the Orcs´ tracks as well, Legolas went ahead and listened intently while waiting for Aragorn to catch up.

He did not hear anything besides the wind, though, and decided to take it for a good sign.

--

When it had gotten too dark to go on, they sought shelter again.

"I will take the complete watch", Legolas said, "My ears are better than yours."

"But you will need some sleep as well", Aragorn protested, even though he knew that the elf was right.

"I am not that weary", Legolas replied, which was actually true. "And you are of no use to us if you are tired tomorrow."

Aragorn, who saw the elf´s point, only nodded, sat down on his bedroll and huddled himself into his cloak. His back still hurt, and he could feel the icy cold bite where the cloth was damaged. He sighed, silently wondering why their luck had to go downhill like this.

Legolas settled down right next to him, sharing his warmth, and the Ranger soon fell asleep.

--

The night passed uneventful; Legolas stayed alert, but no more Orcs seemed to be traveling their way.

It had begun to snow again, and he watched it with increasing worry: he had seldomly experienced winter to come this early and with such force.

He looked at Aragorn, who was leaning against the elf´s shoulder, sleeping quietly; if they would not be able to make it out of here soon, his friend would be in serious trouble. The cold was already affecting him, and now that they were not even able to start a fire, Legolas was afraid that it might get worse.

--

Early in the morning, Aragorn woke up, and they set off again. The man knew he would get warm once he had started to move and did not want to delay.

"I do not know about you", he said after a while, panting slightly, "but I have had enough rocks for now. I would like some trees, for a change."

Legolas chuckled: "Are you sure you are not an elf?", he asked.

Aragorn grinned despite his struggles: "I think I can feel my ears growing pointy indeed."

--

They walked on for hours, trying not to heed the snow that came down so dense at times that they could hardly see each other. The world was nothing but white.

"We should rest", Legolas said once, "you need to recover your strength."

"If we rest now, I will grow cold", Aragorn demured, and Legolas knew he was right.

"It cannot be far now", he thus said reassuringly. "I think we might be out of here soon."

He sounded far more optimistic than he felt; the Orcs´ tracks were covered over by now, so he had to listen very carefully. All sounds were muffled by the snow as well, making it even harder.

The worry for Aragorn increased the feeling of dread that this situation caused anyway, leaving him unusually nervous.

--

Aragorn stumbled again; he was weary and tired, and it was becoming more and more difficult to drag one leg forward through the snow, then the other again, but he was determined not to give in. The cold engulfed him so thoroughly that he could hardly feel his feet, and he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hands to keep his fingers from freezing.

His face felt frozen for sure, as his hood could not prevent the wind and the snow from attacking him. He had started to cough, as the cold wound down his throat as well.

At least he had stopped worrying about the Orcs, as his only concern was to keep moving.

.

At one point, he felt Legolas gripping him by the shoulders, not being aware that he had fallen. But then he realized that he was lying. He did not feel the cold anymore and wondered why the elf looked so panicked.

He could see that Legolas was talking to him, but the words did not seem to reach his ears. All he heard was the strange ebb and flow of his own pulse. He wanted to ask his friend to speak up but did not find the strength. In fact, he wished to close his eyes and sleep and forget everything.

Legolas tried to prevent him from doing exactly that: "Aragorn!", he shouted, desperate because his friend did not seem to hear him; he stared at him with a blank expression that frightened the elf, the grey eyes being unusually dull.

"Aragorn!", Legolas shouted again, "do not give up! I know that your strength is spent, but the boulders have finally started to recede, look!"

But Aragorn did not look. He could not.

His eyes slowly closed, and there was nothing that Legolas could do.

--

**TBC**

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	4. Desperate Measures

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**Chapter 4: Desperate Measures**

--

The elf gritted his teeth; he could sense trees nearby, and that feeling gave him new hope. Carefully, he lifted Aragorn up, shifting his weight until he had him safe in his arms, and walked on, towards the trees.

As soon as he had reached them, he felt calmer. They were not very big and hardly deserved to be called forest, but at least they were standing closely, thus keeping most of the wind and snow out.

Legolas walked on through the scrub until he felt sufficiently safe, then he knelt down and eased Aragorn on the ground. He quickly dug out a large hole underneath a fir with dense branches which reached low enough to the ground to provide some shelter, and shifted Aragorn to lie in it, then he collected wood to build a fire.

It was wet and would not burn though. Legolas carried on trying with fierce determination, but to no avail. He shook his head in frustration, knowing that the only thing he had to fuel it were the remnants of Aragorn´s bow, and as much as Legolas resented it, he knew he would have to use them.

Reluctantly, he took the pieces and broke them into even smaller ones which he set on fire.

To Legolas, being bowless right now was worse than going hungry; he would neither be able to defend them nor to hunt. He had to brush aside these thoughts and concentrate on his immediate task, though; Aragorn needed him now, anything else had to wait.

--

When the wood finally burned, it was smoking heavily, but at least it gave some warmth, and Legolas quickly started to melt some snow for hot water.

He lifted Aragorn´s upper body to lean against him, sitting as close to the small fire as possible, and coaxed him to drink; the Ranger did not repond to this at first and had stopped shivering altogether. Only when Legolas had managed to make him swallow a bit did he moan softly and move his head. "Aragorn", Legolas called him softly, "wake up... I know it is cold, but you cannot yield to it!"

His friend moaned again, but now he was responsive enough to at least drink the hot water. "Legolas", he then said in a very low voice.

"I am here."

"I cannot feel my hands..."

"Do not worry", Legolas said in a desperate attempt to conceal his own worry, "I will see to that. I have built a fire, can you not feel its warmth?"

"Too tired..."

"I know, but please do not go to sleep again.", Legolas said, "I need you here with me. Do not leave me, Aragorn..."

He continued to talk to Aragorn, who fought to stay awake; the elf pulled off the man´s gloves, then gently but firmly rubbed his cold hands until they were red; somewhere in the back of his mind the Ranger noticed a tickling sensation as he felt life return to them. Soon it hurt enough to keep him from drifting off, the same with his feet.

He was in a kind of stupor, though, spending all his strength at concentrating on Legolas´ words. He did not understand what his friend was saying, but the pleasant sound of his melodic voice held on to him.

Legolas was anxious not to stop talking; he knew how far gone Aragorn already was, how frail the ability to cling to the lifeline that his elven friend was providing had grown.

At least life seemed to return to his limbs. Without interrupting himself, Legolas rekindled the fire once more.

He was about to continue rubbing Aragorn´s hands when he heard something. Frowning, he fell silent for a moment; there it was again, unmistakably.

--

Slowly, Legolas closed his eyes: this could not be happening, not now.

But the sound grew louder, sending a shiver down the elf´s spine, who felt like a mouse in a trap, and that was what this small, pathetic forest seemed to be: a trap.

He had been so grateful for what little shelter it provided, keeping the elements at bay, that he had not thought of covering his tracks, which would still be there, unobliterated by the wind. And now it seemed that the Orcs had found them, whatever they were doing here.

--

Cursing, Legolas kicked the fire out, scattering the ashes of Aragorn´s bow, and got to his feet. He was not going to surrender.

In no time, he had gathered their belongings and lifted Aragorn up in his arms once more. The Ranger´s eyes were closed now, and Legolas felt despair well up in him: he had lost him again, and he only hoped that he was not beyond aid already.

As fast as possible with his friend in his arms, he started to run.

Soon the trees were thinning, and the increasing onslaught of the whirling snow caught him with full force; Legolas did not allow himself to falter, even though his breath came in ragged coughs after a while.

He hoped that he was not running into another trap: _Valar, let there be a path for us to escape_, he prayed in the back of his mind. _Please_...

He could hardly see anything, but he still heard his pursuers. He could not tell if they were advancing on him, but they were there at his heels.

At least it looked like the boulders on this side were not lying so close together but covered the ground like a maze, occasionally being flanked by trees.

This meant that there was not only one path, but several, giving Legolas a choice where to turn instead of forcing him to follow a certain passage come what may, as it had been before.

Without hesitating, Legolas dashed between the rocks and continued to turn in an odd way, often coming to a halt abruptly so as not to collide with them; the dense snow made it even harder.

--

He finally stopped and listened; the Orcs seemed further away, and he decided not to go on. His legs felt like they were about to give out any second, and his heart was racing. He eased Aragorn down on the ground and went back to at least cover their tracks; to his surprise, they were already gone, having been obscured by wind and snow in no time.

Legolas gasped; now the snow which had proven to be their enemy ever since they had entered these mountains had actually helped them.

Shaking, he went back to Aragorn. The man was pale and unresponsive, and Legolas felt how the fear that had gripped his heart earlier came back; still trembling, he wrapped his arms around the Ranger, took his hands in his own and held him fast.

He listened hard; the Orcs seemed to have come nearer, but they did not sound as if they were closing in on them.

Legolas closed his eyes, buried his face in Aragorn´s neck and prayed for the Orcs to disappear. The Valar had helped him once, and he, _they_, desperately needed them again.

--

Snow had spread a white blanket about them when the elf finally lifted his head.

It was silent apart from the wind, and as hard as he listened, he could not detect any other sounds. For the first time this day, his heart unclenched a little, and Legolas sensed that they were truly alone. The Orcs were gone, but there was no one else near as well, no one who would have been able to help them.

Quickly, he brushed off the snow, then he checked on Aragorn: he was still breathing, but his pulse was slow, and his skin was icy cold.

Legolas knew that he could not afford to linger and put his hope in another fire; he would have to find a sheltered place first and hoped for a cave or something similar, even if a cave was the last place where he wished to be.

Lifting Aragorn again, he started to walk. They had to leave the maze, and he did not wish to run into the Orcs, so he listened hard again, paying more attention to what his ears told him than to what he saw. He knew he should have listened to where they had gone in the first place, but he had been too weary and desperate. At least the snowfall abated a little now.

--

He did not know how long he had walked, for his head swam with exhaustion and his arms felt weak, when something came to his attention.

He stopped dead, being so overwrought that he thought that his mind was playing tricks on him at first: he smelled smoke. Slowly, he continued to move; there were more trees again, bigger ones than those they had sought shelter under earlier. He stumbled forward, feeling relieved when he had reached them.

After a few more minutes the smell had increased significantly, and to his surprise, Legolas then saw light as well. As he approached it, he recognized a small hut, which nestled against another boulder and was surrounded by firs.

The elf had not expected to find this outpost of civilization here in this remote area; he would not have expected any dwellings like this where Orcs seemed to be roaming frequently.

He did not stop, however, but determinedly walked on. He had to get Aragorn warm quickly.

Staggering, he approached the door.

Before he had reached it though, it unexpectedly flew open and Legolas found himself staring at an arrow-tip which was aiming at his head.

--

**TBC**

--

Maj´s Evil Twin:_ Welcome to cliffhanger-heaven, hee hee hee_...


	5. Inside

Here we go, the wait´s over (at least for this chapter)! Thank you all again for your much appreciated reviews, I just love every single one of them (but- we did it again nevertheless, hehehe...)!

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 5: Inside**

--

Legolas stared.

He could see little but darkness behind the arrow, because now the worst possible thing he could have imagined happened: his body betrayed him.

His knees buckled, and he found himself on the ground, ears tingling. Inwardly, he groaned: it was a very inappropriate moment to collapse, but his limbs felt like lead. Somehow, he still clutched Aragorn in his arms, but he knew he would not be able to get up again, not while carrying his friend anyhow.

This knowledge renewed his despair, for their situation seemed dire.

He did not hang his head, though, but gathered his remaining strength and looked up at the arrow that was still aimed at him. Despite his elven eyes he could not make out the one who held the bow; his face seemed strangely obscured, and he wore a hood.

Legolas felt anger welling up in him: "I do not mean you any harm!" he exclaimed, "therefore I deem it very ill-fitting of you to threaten me."

The bow did not waver while a deep voice answered him: "How do I know that you do not intend to harm me? How do I know that this is no trick?"

--

Legolas somehow managed to find the strength to straighten up and push back his hood, unflinchingly facing his opponent: "It is not my habit to play tricks on strangers, even more so if I have the hope that they might be able and willing to help me."

To his relief, the bow was being lowered at that, and its owner stepped forward.

It seemed that his face suddenly became clearer, and when he pushed back his own hood, Legolas saw that it was an old man.

"Forgive me, master elf", the man now said, bowing his head slightly. "One cannot be careful enough."

Legolas simply looked at him, not knowing what to make of this. The old man had long, grey hair which he wore tied together at his neck, and a rather enormous beard. His eyes were bright, and the lines around his eyes proved that he either laughed or squinted a lot. He wore a plain brown robe.

His voice softened as he assessed the elf and the unconscious man in front of him: "My name is Radagast", he said. "And I am able and willing to help you."

--

Legolas only nodded. He knew he had no choice but to take this offer; he had been asking for it, after all, and if he refused, his friend would not survive.

.

Radagast seemed to perceive that the elf´s strength was spent, and bent down; in one surprisingly swift motion for an old man, he lifted Aragorn up.

"Can you stand of your own volition?", he asked Legolas.

The elf summoned all his will power to get to his feet and succeeded, if slightly swaying.

Radagast eyed him intently, then turned towards the hut.

Legolas followed him inside and closed the door.

.

It was indeed small, but definitely warmer than outside. It was not dark, though, as several lamps were spreading their light. Legolas briefly wondered if his mind had fooled him.

Radagast eased Aragorn down on the only bed there was, then turned to Legolas and pointed towards a worn-down, stuffed chair: "Sit down", he said. "I´ll just see to the fire." The elf looked at Aragorn, who lay motionless, and did as he was told. He could not have done one more step.

Radagast went over to the fireplace and put a few logs on the glowing coals. He then put a kettle on the hook above the fire in order to boil some water.

Legolas watched him with a strange detachment. All of this seemed unreal; he knew he should be looking after Aragorn, desperately wished to be right at his side to hold on to him, but did not know if he would even manage to rise again.

Radagast gave him a goblet of water and some delicious-smelling bread. Automatically, Legolas drank and started to eat, as his empty stomach made itself known.

"Do not go to sleep yet", Radagast said firmly enough to break the elf´s stupor. "You have got to tell me what has happened to your friend so that I can help him."

Legolas nodded: "I am sorry", he murmured. "We have been caught in a cave-in..." He told Radagast about the crevice, the Orcs and the desperate attempt to escape both them and the weather, talking himself into agitation: "He is wounded", he finally spluttered, being near tears,"and I fear that he is beyond reach... his hands have been so cold, and he... I am afraid..." he broke off, feeling drawn and hopeless.

--

Radagast had meanwhile started to remove Aragorn´s clothes; he looked up now, hearing the despair in the elf´s voice: "What is your name?", he asked gently.

Legolas stared at him: "My name is Legolas", he replied, seeing no reason why he should not reveal it. But he would not give Aragorn´s real name away.

"Legolas", he therefore repeated, "and he is Estel."

"Very well, Legolas", Radagast said, trying not to show his astonishment about what he had just heard. "Calm down now... I will see to your friend. You are exhausted. Are you wounded as well?"

"No..."

"But you need to rest nevertheless. I know that elves are strong, but you have been through quite an ordeal, and I would rather not have you collapse again. You can lie down on the bed next to Estel, and just rest."

This was a very tempting offer, but Legolas did not know wether he could really trust Radagast, thus he would have preferred to stay up and alert.

Radagast saw what troubled the elf, and smiled slightly: "I mean you no harm either, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood."

The elf gasped: "How do you know..."

Radagast still smiled: "I am a friend of Gandalf the Grey."

--

Legolas could have slapped himself. Of course. Somewhere in the back of his tired mind he knew that if he had paid more attention, he would have realized that Radagast´s attire in fact reminded him of the wizard, and now he remembered something else. He looked to the door: there it was, leaning against the wall: a wizard´s staff. And who else would consider to dwell in a location like this if not a wizard?

"Forgive me...", he breathed. "I did not know..."

"There is nothing to forgive", Radagast said calmly. "I did not tell you, did I?"

Legolas shook his head. "But I cannot go to sleep", he said, "Estel needs me!"

"I am sure he will feel your presence if you lie down next to him."

The elf finally nodded. Slowly and with a visible effort, he got up and made his way around the bed, then sank down on it. He had intended to stay awake at all costs, and he had questions to ask, why the wizard had used a bow to defend himself instead of his staff for example, but as soon as he was lying, the lack of food and sleep and the physical exertion took over, and he fell asleep.

Radagast glanced at him, then turned his attention towards Aragorn again.

So this was the man who had been raised in Rivendell as one of Elrond Halfelven´s sons and had then become a Ranger.

Gandalf had talked about him, and something in his voice had made Radagast listen attentively, a subtle note of affection and respect. He did not know why, but he had the feeling that this man would become important one time. Mithrandir, as the elves called him, was not one to give anything away, and Radagast had not tried to get more information out of him about this than he had parted with deliberately. He knew he would just have to wait and see.

And now the very man was lying here, and Radagast had known that he was near death just by the looks of him even before Legolas had told him what had happened.

The wizard shook his head: he did not like to give up on a life. He had helped many a wounded animal during his time here in Middle-Earth, and thus had gained some skills as a healer.

But what was even more important now was to reach out and try to call the Ranger back, as he seemed very far gone already.

--

**TBC**

--

_Author´s Note_:

Radagast the Brown appears a few times in Tolkien´s books, yet not that much is known about him. He has dwelled in Rhosgobel most of the time but has been elsewhere as well. As it is unknown where exactly and for how long, I took the liberty of moving him to the mountains.

He will talk about it to Legolas later.


	6. Don t Go

--

**Chapter 6: Don´t Go**

--

When Legolas awoke at dawn, it was still dark, though the sky must have started to lighten up. The fire had died down by now; a small candle burned in a glass, otherwise it was dark in the room.

The elf felt light-headed and starved and did not know where he was for a few seconds. He waited until his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, then sat up slowly. He noticed that his hands were bandaged, at which his memory came back full force.

Gasping, he turned towards Aragorn; the Ranger was sleeping or unconscious, Legolas could not tell from the look of his pale face, but at least his chest rose and fell regularly.

Radagast was sitting next to him in the stuffed chair, seemingly asleep as well.

The elf drew closer to his friend and raised his hand to touch him. He just now realized that his hands were hurting; he probably shouldn´t have neglected them, but it had not seemed to matter at that time.

Aragorn´s skin was warm to the touch now, as Radagast had done everything he could to drive the cold away: he had removed his cold, clammy clothes, had taken a cloth and rubbed the life back into him just like Legolas had done before they had been interrupted by the Orcs.

He had cleaned and redressed the wound and wrapped the man in warm blankets, then forced him to drink hot tea with a bit of rum and herbs in regular intervals. He had kept the fire burning until the room had resembled the interior of an oven.

Legolas sank back onto his pillow. The warmth made him sleepy, and he was still tired. He listened to Aragorn´s soft breathing next to him and thanked the Valar that it was there, then sleep claimed him once more.

--

The next time Legolas woke up, it was light, and an inviting aroma filled the room. Radagast stood in front of the fire and stirred something that smelled like soup.

Legolas turned his head to look at Aragorn and found that his eyes were open. Gasping, the elf sat up: "Estel!"

But his friend did not respond to this. His gaze was dull and glazed over, sweat stood upon his brow. Only now did Legolas realize that the Ranger was feverish and his breathing laboured.

He looked at Radagast, who had turned around at the commotion. The wizard´s face was serious: "He has been exposed to the cold for too long", he said without preamble.

Legolas took Aragorn´s hands in his own and held them tightly: "Estel!", he repeated. "Can you not hear me?"

Aragorn´s gaze flickered in his direction, but there was no recognition in his eyes. Legolas could feel that he was trembling, and his skin was clammy. He was very ill. The elf had only once seen him like this before, and thus knew how frail the human body was; fever and exhaustion could easily kill it if not fought off effectively.

"You have to be strong", the elf murmured. "Do not give up now..."

Aragorn´s eyes closed. Legolas gritted his teeth as he felt tears well up in his eyes.

--

Radagast came over, bearing a steaming bowl: "Here. You must be hungry."

Legolas shook his head: "I have to help him", he whispered. The wizard smiled sadly: "You are of no help if you starve yourself."

"He needs to know I am here."

"He knows."

"But he does not look like it."

Radagast shook his head: "While you were sleeping, I have called out to him. He was far away, but I managed to call him back, if only for one reason: there was a light which had kept him from disappearing into darkness, and I deem you know very well where it had come from."

Radagast watched the elf as Legolas looked at Aragorn´s still face. The battle he fought with himself was evident in his features; the man seemed very dear to him indeed, otherwise it would not have pained him so to see him like this.

"Eat", the wizard finally said. "We will both stay at his side."

Legolas looked downtrodden but let go of Estel´s hands and accepted the bowl of soup. It was delicious, and he found himself eating slowly as he thoroughly enjoyed it. But his thoughts were with Aragorn. How could their journey have turned so perilous in such a short amount of time? He knew they had been extremely fortunate to find help here; otherwise he would not have been able to save his friend. Aragorn would have died in his arms.

--

Legolas suppressed a shudder at this thought and forced himself to think of something else.

"Radagast", he therefore said when he had finished eating. "If you do not mind my asking: how come you dwell here? I would have expected it to be far too dangerous with the Orcs about. Are you not afraid they might attack you?"

The wizard had sat down next to Aragorn and had started to cool his forehead with a cold cloth that smelled faintly of herbs.

He now shrugged his shoulders: "They have tried that once and have learned their lesson", he said lightly.

"_They_- why, what did you do?"

"That time, I used my staff." Radagast winked, and Legolas wondered if the wizard had read his mind earlier.

He was about to ask more when Aragorn moaned softly, moving his head.

With an unexpectedly gentle gesture, Radagast stroked the man´s temple and took one of his hands in his own: "It is all right", he soothed in a low voice. "You will be fine..." Soon, the Ranger calmed down.

Legolas put the empty bowl aside: "Is he in pain?"

"He should not be. I saw to the wound on his back and put some pain-relieving herbs into his tea", Radagast replied quietly. "But I have learned that if someone is ill like this, the whole body aches. The fever makes it even worse, and is often playing tricks on the mind, thus not allowing them to sleep deeply and rest."

Legolas nodded; Elrond had told him the same once.

--

Radagast did not know how old Legolas was, but as he looked at him now, he seemed very young and vulnerable. He sighed; the world was becoming a sad place if elves had reason to look as troubled as the prince did now.

"Do not worry so", he therefore said in an attempt to ease Legolas´ sorrow, "I think he is strong enough to get through this." He sensed that there was another reason behind the elf´s grave face, but did not ask; it might not be his business.

There was another reason indeed: Legolas had just been reminded of how easily breakable a human was, how short-lived, and that one day Aragorn would not wake up anymore, leaving his best friend behind. He did not know how he was to survive that; subconsciously, he took the Ranger´s free hand and cradled it close.

--

While he tried to shake off that feeling of dread and anguish, he looked around; Radagast´s home was simple, but sufficient.

Apart from the bed and the stuffed chair there were a small table, a shelf and a large wooden box. Next to the fireplace there was a large pile of chopped wood, neatly stacked. In fact, all of the wizard´s belongings seemed to be old but well-looked after.

His musings were interrupted when Aragorn stirred again. He moaned repeatedly, his breath coming in shuddering gasps. Both Legolas and Radagast tried to calm him, as he was apparently dreaming.

They managed to calm him for a while, but it never lasted long, for the fever remained high and had him tightly in its clutches. He fought against it, but his strength was waning; Legolas could feel Aragorn´s muscles tense under his touch, but the defense decreased noticeably with every passing hour.

The elf felt sore himself, for now the multiple bruises he had sustained during the cave-in made themselves known. He tried to ignore them, considering them as insignificant compared to his friend´s situation.

--

The day passed by in a haze.

Radagast had given up the attempt of convincing Legolas to rest; the elf would not hear of it. He huddled close to the Ranger, as if he needed to feel that he was still there, his free hand crawling onto the man´s heart in regular intervals whenever Aragorn lay still, just to make sure.

The wizard knew that elves were sensitive creatures, but he had hardly ever seen such a devotion towards a human being. He tried not to show Legolas that he regretted his own confident words now: he began to doubt wether the Ranger would be able to pull through, as his condition seemed worse that it had at first.

He was puzzled as to why the fever would not break; he had gathered a profound knowledge of herbs and other healing plants and had administered his best remedies only to find they did not seem to work at all. Maybe something was countering them, but after all Legolas had told him about the last few days, that was not very likely to be the case.

The only other explanation he had was that the man´s body was unable to cope with the shock caused by the cave-in and the ensuing ordeal. But he would have deemed the Ranger to be stronger than that, which left him at the same loss as before.

He had seen Gandalf in similar situations as this, and the Grey Wizard always seemed confident about finding a cure or even being able to provide the cure itself by reaching out to the patient, providing a lifeline.

But Radagast did not have that power; he had managed to call Estel back, but if the man had been beyond reach already, he would very likely not have succeeded.

He sighed, staring down on the Ranger´s pale, drawn face: something had to be done, otherwise he might not live to see whatever it was that fate had in store for him.

Radagast´s gaze moved on to the elf at this; Legolas seemed to be praying, his face a mask of solemn concentration, his downcast eyes shining with unshed tears.

Right then the terrible realization that it would in fact destroy the young elf if Elrond´s foster son died now hit Radagast with an irrevocable, painful certainty.

Giving in to his own newfound helplessness, he closed his eyes and silently joined Legolas in his prayers.

--

**TBC**

--


	7. Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Hey there, you can finally stop biting your nails. ) Due to my holiday break, it has taken longer than usual to post this chapter. I´ve been in Denmark, and if I say Roskilde, some of you might be able to guess just whom I have met there... (the reason why I can hardly stop grinning these days)...

Enjoy!

--

**Chapter 7: Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost**

--

Legolas was not praying.

He had given up on that hours ago, because it left him feeling too powerless. He was holding Aragorn´s hand and, taking a deep breath, had bent low over his friend, willing himself to concentrate despite his despair.

If Radagast could not prevent the Ranger from fading, Legolas would have to try. And thus he tried, his determination pushing him beyond his limits.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the weakening light of Aragorn´s presence, the feeble wings of his soul until they were as close as possible. Legolas clung to this frail connection, then drew back to the inside of his mind until he felt calm, thus creating a vantage point, a small spot of new strength which would glow like a beacon and guide him through the darkness he was now facing.

He had never done something like this before and felt a little lightheaded due to this newfound, slightly frightening power, but he knew he had to, without thinking. Aragorn was somewhere out there in the dark, and he was departing.

Tentatively, the elf reached out in the dark, expanding mental fingers which explored his surroundings; it felt like being under water. He was unable to speak, all he could do was to widen his mind and search for the one he had come for, the only other mind in this unspeakable place.

It was costing him more strength than he had expected; his beacon was flickering in the distance as he moved on. It had become not more than a tiny spark, inconsolably far away, when he felt a response; he had touched something. He tried to feel it, sparking new hope, but reaching out was becoming increasingly difficult. His strength was waning.

--

Radagast looked up when a barely audible groan escaped Legolas´ lips. Only now did the wizard realize that the elf´s posture was unusual rigid, and that his tears were actually drops of sweat.

It took him only a few seconds to realize what the elf was doing.

Cursing under his breath, he quickly got to his feet and surrounded the bed to support Legolas, who had started to sway. His glow had diminished rapidly and was nearly gone.

"Fool", Radagast muttered, though only half-heartedly. He rather berated himself for not paying attention. The elf could not know how dangerous a path he had entered; if his strength would abandon him, he would be lost in the darkness likewise, and very possibly beyond reach for anyone.

The wizard shook his head, then he tightened his grip on the elf and concentrated as well.

--

Legolas suddenly felt hot panic engulf him; his beacon was barely visible anymore, and he felt very tired. He tried to reach out again, locate the response which had been there, but to no avail. He desperately fought to try once more, when he felt a sudden surge of energy, like a glow in the dark. And as if to respond, his beacon lit up in the distance.

He did not hesitate but reached out again at once; soon he had found it again, and now he could make it out: a faint shimmer, frail and beautiful, that was Aragorn.

Radagast felt Legolas move, felt his muscles tense and his body tremble. He seemed to be fighting, and it drained all the energy out of the old wizard. He held on to the elf nevertheless, offering what strength he had, until he knew no more.

--

When Legolas came to, the first thing he was aware of was his aching body. He had fallen onto his side in a half-sitting position, and for some reason Radagast was sitting next to him, leaning heavily against him. The air was cold, as the fire had gone out, and it was light outside.

Confused and feeling overwhelmingly tired, Legolas managed to sit up. Only then did he remember what had happened. But he could not recall how it had ended. Slowly, with an awful feeling of dread, he turned towards Aragorn.

The Ranger was lying as before and still looked utterly pale, as if life had left him. But alas! His chest was moving, and now the elf could feel his presence, stronger than it had been before. Gasping, Legolas drew nearer, touched Aragorn´s face, stroked him while tears welled up in his eyes.

He lived! He lived, and the fever seemed to have broken. Sobbing with relief, Legolas sank down next to his best friend, laid his hand on Aragorn´s hand and finally allowed sleep to claim him.

--

Aragorn slowly opened his eyes. He had no idea why he had been sleeping or where he was, but it seemed good to have woken up; he felt like he had been under water for a long time.

His vision was blurry at first, but he could see a shape moving in and out of his focus, until it finally stopped in front of him. When his eyes had adjusted, he recognized an old man with a grey beard not unlike Gandalf´s, who looked at him with such a relief that the Ranger wondered if he should know him.

He wanted to ask him who he was and how he had come here, but his voice did not work at all. He merely managed to croak something unintelligible and only now noticed how hoarse his throat felt.

The old man lifted his head and helped him to drink some water. Aragorn would not normally allow a stranger to do this, but realized that he could not even lift his head on his own.

The old man smiled benignly: "Welcome back, or rather, welcome at all. My name is Radagast, and I believe Legolas will be thoroughly relieved to see you awake."

The mention of his friend´s name sparked Aragorn´s memory. He recalled snow and cold, and a threat...

"How did we get here?" he asked, his voice still raspy.

"Legolas carried you after you had escaped the Orcs", Radagast said. Aragorn looked confused, so the wizard told him what he knew.

"I...do not remember most of it", Aragorn murmured after the old man had ended.

Radagast shook his head in sympathy: "You have been near death when you arrived here", he said.

Aragorn felt exhausted, all of this seemed a lot to comprehend in his weakened state. He slowly turned his head and looked at Legolas, who was fast asleep and had curled in on himself next to the man, his head resting against Aragorn´s shoulder.

"He is a good friend", Radagast said quietly.

Aragorn felt himself smile: that was certainly true. Something was nagging at the back of his mind, something that had to do with the elf, but he could not put his finger on it.

Radagast had meanwhile reheated the soup and now insisted that the Ranger ate some of it: "It will help you recover your strength", he said.

Aragorn complied, though he was too weak to hold the spoon and did not like being fed like a child. The old man helped him to sit up and sat down next to him.

"Radagast", Aragorn said when he had finally finished. "May I ask if you are you a friend of Gandalf? Your name sounds familiar."

The wizard, who was helping him to lay back down, smiled: "Aye, I am."

"Good...", Aragorn closed his eyes. "Good..." A few minutes later, he was asleep. Without waking, Legolas subconsciously drew closer to him again.

--

Radagast watched the two sleeping friends for a while; he had never witnessed a friendship such as this, especially not between a man and an elf.

Whatever Gandalf had been referring to when he had talked about Estel, for some reason it felt good to know that he would have someone to rely on.

--

**TBC**

--


	8. Concern

Hi all,

I´m very sorry for the delay. Real Life is just very demanding at the moment, so I won´t be able to update as quickly as before. I´ll try not to let you wait this long again, but unfortunately can´t promise anything.

This chapter is short but very emotional- some of you better have your tissues at hand.

Enjoy!

Maj

--

**Chapter 8: Concern**

--

When Legolas woke up from a deep and refreshing sleep, he wondered why he felt so utterly joyous. A huge burden seemed to have been lifted off his heart, and it wasn´t until he felt a movement next to him that he remembered what had happened.

He sat up at once and looked at Aragorn, who was waking as well: for a few seconds, he only lay there blinking and allowing his senses to fully come to and take in his surroundings. When he met Legolas´ gaze, a smile slowly appeared on his face. The Ranger still looked haggard and pale, but his eyes were as intense as usual again, and Legolas felt a rush of relief: he had not forgotten the fear he had experienced when Aragorn had been too ill to recognize him.

Legolas returned the smile, laying one hand on the Ranger´s heart: "You have not left me." Aragorn was aware of the relief which was evident in the elf´s features when he said this, and remembered Radagast´s words: _you have been near death_.

"No", he said quietly, "I have not. But it has not been my own doing, has it?"

Legolas looked at him in surprise: "What do you mean?"

"I was too ill to fight", Aragorn said. "I was drifting away but could not help it, there was nothing to cling to, no means to hold on to life. Until you came."

Legolas´ eyes grew wide: "You remember it?"

"I dreamed of it." Aragorn´s voice was very soft. "There was a light; merely a firefly at first, but it became stronger. It surrounded me, carried me back..." He broke off.

--

Silently, they looked at each other.

"You saved me", Aragorn whispered. "Not only by bringing me here, but by risking your own life to prevent me from falling into darkness..."

Legolas bent forward and grasped his hand: "You would have done the same for me", he said, his voice barely audible.

"You could have perished."

"It was my choice."

"Yes." Aragorn squeezed Legolas´ hand: "I know."

Tears were shimmering in his eyes; he knew that Legolas had been aware of the risk he was taking. That he had done it nevertheless made Aragorn feel grateful and guilty at the same time; Legolas had so many more years ahead of him than himself, but still the elf had been willing to risk an untimely death and a slow one to save his mortal friend. Aragorn shuddered at the thought of Legolas being lost in the shadows of the other side, impossible to be reached by anyone, his body reduced to being just an empty shell.

Legolas now squeezed his friend´s hand to get his attention back: "I will not lose you as long as I have a say in it", he said.

Aragorn shook his head: "But you will lose me eventually", he replied. "I am no elf..."

Legolas shook his head: "You do not understand", he murmured. "I know I have to face that horrible day some time in the future. But by then you will have lived. You will have had a fulfilled life, and you will have been happy."

Aragorn did not know how to answer this and struggled to find the words: "Do you not think I have lived a fulfilled life so far?"

Legolas´ expression became slightly pained: "Hard and troublesome rather than fulfilled. I miss the happiness you once possessed, and the light heartedness that came with it", he said softly, his eyes wandering to the Evenstar Aragorn wore around his neck. "You know what I mean."

--

Aragorn was quiet for so long that Legolas started wondering if he had gone too far, until suddenly the man bent foward as well, if awkwardly stiff, and pulled Legolas into a hug. They silently held on to each other for a long time, appreciating each other´s comfort.

When they finally let go, Aragorn sought Legolas´ gaze again: "Thank you", he whispered. "You know me better than I do myself."

--

**TBC**

--


	9. Old Habits Are Hard To Break

Mae Govannen and a happy New Year!

After mulling it over for ages (as you´ve undoubtedly noticed, and I´m sorry for the long wait!) I finally decided that this is as far as I want to take it, so here is the final chapter. Radagast might return in one of my stories, however, as I have taken a liking to him.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, you´ve been great!

--

**Chapter 9: Old Habits Are Hard To Break**

--

Aragorn silently got up and stoked the fire, for the air had cooled down considerably. When merry flames started to spread their warmth, he returned to his bedroll and laid down again. He had recovered amazingly quick once he had been awake, due to Legolas´ and Radagast´s good care. At one point, he did not want to keep the wizard from sleeping in his own bed any longer and insisted on sleeping on his bedroll, just as Legolas had been doing during the previous days. Despite the elf´s protests and the wizard´s repeated assurance that he did not mind, the Ranger prevailed.

He stared into the semi-darkness and found that he was looking forward to leaving; not out of ungratefulness, but because he felt the urge to move, to be outside in the fresh air. He had been living in the wilderness for so long that if felt strange to be inside all the time.

Legolas and he had agreed to leave on the following day; Radagast would accompany them for a while. The wizard had pointed out that the Orcs were likely still near and that it would do him, Radagast good to get out and about once in a while anyway.

The snow had receded considerably, but probably for the last time until the winter would really set in, so they had no time to lose.

-

They set out to a clear, cold day a few hours later; the feeble sun cast the morning in pale golden light. While Radagast was locking the hut, Legolas looked from Aragorn into the sky: "I have always liked winter´s colours", he said.

Aragorn smiled: "I know. I have seen you spending hours just marvelling at the snow and the sky." Legolas was about to answer when Radagast joined them: "I am ready", he stated. "That way!"

Elf and Ranger exchanged a look.

"He does remind me of Gandalf sometimes", Legolas murmured. "Do you not think the same?"

"That way", Aragorn mouthed silently instead of an answer and nodded into the direction Radagast had taken off to, then with a barely subdued grin he turned to follow the wizard.

-

A fair amount of the snow had melted during the past days; the rest of it had frozen over repeatedly, leaving the ground slightly more uneven, but Radagast and Aragorn therefore did not sink in very often, which made it easier to get along.

It was still cold, but the icy wind had ceased; all in all, the conditions for traveling were much more favourable than before.

The three of them proceeded very cautiously nevertheless: every so often Radagast would stop and listen intently, whereas Legolas was running back and forth as a scout would do, using his ears and eyes to find out if anyone was following or ahead of them. Aragorn was looking around for any suspicious tracks, but the few he found had been caused by animals.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so they even dared to light a small fire when they finally settled to rest for the night.

They took it in turns to take watch, but the night was uneventful.

-

"How did you sleep?", Legolas asked Aragorn on the following morning. The elf´s voice was casual, but the Ranger knew his friend too well to be deceived by that: "Yes", he therefore replied. "Having an undamaged cloak, thick gloves and a scarf and furthermore being sound and well-fed helps a lot."

Legolas could not but grin: "Good. So you did learn a lesson here!" Which earned him a snowball in his face.

-

After two more days, they finally left the mountains. Radagast wanted to turn north here, muttering that he had some business to tend to.

"We are very grateful for all that you have done for us", Aragorn said and bowed his head. "I wish we could reciprocate your kindness."

Radagast smiled: "Just stay out of trouble", he said, "that will be reciprocation enough."

He winked and turned to go.

Aragorn and Legolas looked after him for a while, for some reason bereft of words. When they finally sought each other´s gaze, they smiled.

--

**The End**

--


End file.
